Production Manager

Franke LLC; Peschiera del Garda; On-site; EUR 54,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Internal canteen

Training programs

Development paths

Job summary

Franke is seeking a Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations, drive operational excellence and develop a high-performing production organization. You will own Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost, embedding FPS and Lean principles while building frontline leadership for sustainable results.

The role demands 10–15 years in manufacturing with 5+ years of leading large teams, international exposure, and hands-on Lean experience.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering or related field.
• 10–15 years of manufacturing experience, including at least 5 years leading large production teams in complex industrial environments.
• Experience in manufacturing organizations with over 150 employees is preferred.
• Background in metal processing, stainless steel manufacturing, stamping, welding, finishing or similar processes is highly valued.
• Proven success in Lean Manufacturing, operational improvement and organizational change, including development of frontline and middle management teams.
• Experience in an international manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead Safety with No Compromise: champion a Safety-First culture and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Deliver Quality and Customer Excellence: foster a culture of quality and reduce defects and complaints.
• Drive Operational Performance and Deliver: achieve production targets and OTIF while optimizing capacity and flow.
• Accelerate Productivity and Continuous Improvement: improve productivity, efficiency and costs, deploy FPS and Lean tools.
• Build and Inspire High-Performing Teams: coach frontline leaders and promote continuous improvement and collaboration.

Skills

Leadership

Safety culture

Quality management

Analytical mindset

Change management

Team development

Education

Mechanical Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

FPS (Franke Production System)

TPS

5S

Kaizen

Visual Management

Lean Manufacturing

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

We, the Franke company with its three divisions, are a world's leading supplier of products and services for domestic kitchens, the professional foodservice systems and the convenience store sector as well as for professional coffee making. With around 60 companies, we are at home on five continents. Over 8,000 employees constantly take on new perspectives to identify opportunities and turn them into inspiring, innovative solutions for tomorrow’s demands.

The Franke Home Solutions division is the world’s leading provider of smart systems for domestic kitchens. Drawing on a long history of reliability and expertise, we help our partners enhance their businesses and provide outstanding kitchen and cooking experiences to our consumers by offering complete solutions for food preparation and cooking.

About the job

Your Mission

We are looking for a passionate and results-driven Production Manager to lead our manufacturing operations, drive operational excellence and develop a high-performing production organization.In this role, you will take ownership of Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost performance, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and people development. You will play a key role in strengthening our manufacturing capabilities, embedding the Franke Production System (FPS) and developing frontline leaders who can deliver sustainable results.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means more than achieving production targets. It means creating a manufacturing organization where safety comes first, quality is everyone’s responsibility, performance is consistently delivered, continuous improvement becomes a daily habit, and people are empowered to grow and succeed. You will make a lasting impact by building strong leaders, reliable processes and a culture of operational excellence that delivers sustainable results.

1. Lead Safety with No Compromise

• Champion a Safety-First culture through visible shopfloor leadership, Gemba walks, risk prevention and proactive employee engagement.
• Ensure compliance with HSE regulations and corporate standards, including delegated responsibilities as Dirigente per la Sicurezza under Italian Legislative Decree 81/08.
• Drive incident investigations, root-cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions to prevent accidents and unsafe conditions.

2. Deliver Quality and Customer Excellence

• Foster a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility, ensuring first-time-right production and compliance with product and process standards.
• Reduce defects, scrap, rework and customer complaints through structured problem solving and data-driven improvements.
• Collaborate with Quality, Engineering and Supply Chain to enhance process reliability and customer satisfaction.

3. Drive Operational Performance and Delivery

• Lead manufacturing operations to achieve production targets, customer commitments and On-Time In-Full (OTIF) performance.
• Optimize capacity, workforce allocation and production flow in close collaboration with Planning, Supply Chain and Logistics.
• Drive FPS Daily Management routines, visual performance tracking and effective escalation processes.
• Ensure operational readiness for new product introductions, engineering changes and industrialization projects.

4. Accelerate Productivity and Continuous Improvement

• Improve productivity, manufacturing efficiency, equipment utilization and cost performance, taking ownership of production budgets and operating expenses.
• Lead the deployment of the Franke Production System (FPS), embedding Lean principles, Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work and Visual Management.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability and support investments in technology, equipment and automation.

5. Build and Inspire High-Performing Teams

• Lead, coach and develop frontline leaders, strengthening their people management capabilities, accountability and decision-making.
• Set clear expectations, drive performance management and address performance gaps fairly and decisively.
• Foster engagement, collaboration and ownership while leading organizational and cultural change.
• Build talent pipelines and succession plans, promoting a culture of respect, continuous improvement and Franke Values.

Requirements

Experience & Background

• Degree in Mechanical, Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• 10–15 years of manufacturing experience, including at least 5 years leading large production teams in complex industrial environments.
• Experience in manufacturing organizations with over 150 employees is preferred.
• Background in metal processing, stainless steel manufacturing, stamping, welding, finishing or similar processes is highly valued.
• Proven success in Lean Manufacturing, operational improvement and organizational change, including the development of frontline and middle management teams.
• Experience in an international manufacturing environment.

Leadership & Technical Capabilities

• Strong people leadership: a hands-on, credible leader who inspires trust, develops talent, empowers teams and drives accountability.
• Operational excellence: solid expertise in SQDC performance management, Lean Manufacturing and production systems such as TPS, FPS or WCM.
• Analytical mindset: ability to interpret data, identify root causes and translate insights into effective decisions and measurable improvements.
• Change leadership: resilience, influencing skills and confidence to drive transformation, manage resistance and address challenging situations.
• Results orientation: strong execution focus, effective communication and the ability to make difficult decisions while fostering engagement and collaboration.

Languages

• Italian: native or full professional proficiency.
• English: advanced professional proficiency (minimum B2; C1 preferred).

What we offer you

• Internal canteen
• A learning‑oriented environment, where continuous improvement and commercial excellence are actively encouraged
• Strong exposure to key business functions to gain a full understanding of the dynamics of a leading industrial company
• A collaborative and supportive team culture, where your ideas, market insights, and proactive contributions truly make a difference
• Access to training programs, digital tools, and development paths to strengthen both your strategic and operational capabilities
• Compensation range: the compensation package for this position is expected to range between 54.000 € and 74.000 € gross per year, including a variable bonus scheme. The actual compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and the scope of the role, applying objective and gender-neutral criteria, and may be slightly below or above this range. We believe that transparency and fairness are essential to building trust, fostering inclusion, and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.
• This position is covered by the CCNL Metalmeccanici Industria.

Important information for all executive search companies, headhunters and HR consultants

The Franke Group does not accept unsolicited support from headhunters and personnel consultants for our career opportunities. Any CV/resume vitae submitted to Franke or its employees by external recruitment agencies without a valid written recruitment agreement related to the position in question shall be deemed the sole property of our company. In the event that a candidate presented by an agency is hired in our company and there is no prior agreement, no fee will be paid.